Wake Up Exhausted
by adiorable
Summary: They're drifting apart. They both let it happen. There's nothing left to do, but start anew. A Story of Rory and Logan. Sophie.
1. Pilot

(A/N: Some basic facts: This is a future-fic, based on Rory and Logan, and the first couple chapters will be more of "background/explanatory" chapters. That's it. Any other questions, please just leave a comment. Thanks!)

Chapter 1: Pilot

She slowly opened her eyes, squinting due to the bright sun shining through the bedroom's large floor-to-ceiling windows leading out onto the balcony.

Once her eyes were fully open, she surveyed the room. Quiet and untouched. She looked over to the other side of the bed to find the pillow intact and everything in its place. Rory sat up, swung her legs off the bed, and padded her way into the en-suite bathroom. She glanced around to find nothing had changed from the night before. None of his clothes were strewn in the hamper, no towels were dirtied, not a single thing that even signaled his presence.

She didn't know why she was so surprised. This was a regular occurrence; it wasn't anything new. He was barely home. She was used to going to bed alone, waking up alone and finding out from his secretary or, if she was lucky, a quick twenty-second phone call from him, telling her that he was leaving the state or even the country on another business trip.

For two years, they've been like this. Only seeing each other during society parties that they were expected to attend or for a brief moment in the morning before they both went off to work, or during one of his late nights in his study.

She and Logan would be married for five years, this August. Everything was great in the beginning. For two years they were happy and in love, taking everything in stride and living for the moment. It all began to fall apart once he took over the family business. They began to lose touch with one another.

She missed him. She missed the man she fell in love with in college. She missed the man that she married.

She married him, not because of the name or the money, but because of his adventurous side, his charm, his witty quips, and his ability to goad her into doing things she never would have thought of. But that man has disappeared through the years.

After a hot shower, she got dressed in a tank top, a pair of blue Yoga pants and a matching sweater and made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen.

She made herself some coffee, prepared a bagel, and sat in their large dining room overlooking a beautiful view of Central Park. Sometimes the incredible view was the only thing keeping her from succumbing to the loneliness of their gorgeous, but forlorn, 2 floor penthouse apartment.

That is how she spent most of her mornings when she wasn't working or in Boston with her family. Looking down at her empty cup, she decided that if she were going to make it through lunch, she would definitely need more coffee.

She walked into the kitchen again, setting her dirtied plate in the dish washer and poured herself another cup of coffee. She was about to walk out onto their balcony when a flashing red light caught her attention.

She glanced at their answering machine, quirking an eyebrow before pressing play. Rory was never this popular, especially before 10:30 in the morning.

_You have **six** new messages. _The machine told her. _Message One:_

"_Rory, Rory, Rory. Where are you? I can't believe you're screening the calls of your poor, old, mother." _Rory laughed as her mother's voice filled the apartment, she could hear her Dad in the background and guessed that Lorelai had her on speaker.

"_Lorelai, stop harassing Rory, its 8:30 in the morning. Besides, who are you trying to fool playing the sympathy card? You are neither old nor poor. Hey Rory, sorry about your mother, I think she's having a mid-life crisis."_

"_Hey!"_ She heard her mother screamed, indignantly. Then she heard Christopher shout in pain, probably from a flying object thrown by Lorelai at his head.

"_So, as I was saying-"_

"_Is that Rory?" _A voice asked in the distant. From what she could tell, it was Gigi. Seconds later, the booming voice of Gigi filled the room, making Rory smile. _"Rory! When are you going to come and visit again! I have to show you the new computer game Mom and Dad got me! We hav-" _Rory laughed as the machine cut her off. That's what happens when you try and leave 10 minute messages.

_Message Two:_

"_Ror, its Jim, listen, the guest for Monday's show had to cancel so, we had to change the whole layout around. It's no big deal. I emailed you the new plan. So just look it over before you come in to work Monday. Oh and Mike's back from his vacation early, so, he'll be back on Monday. I'll see you later. Take care, bye."_

Jim is the executive producer of the "Today" Show. He was a great guy. Ever since Rory started working there a few years ago, they grew to be really good friends. Mike is Rory's co-anchor. Mike's been working there for a little longer than Rory, so he helped her out when she first started. They were good friends too, they had amazing chemistry (platonic, of course) but it shone on camera and off.

_Message Three:_

"_Hey, hon, sorry, machine cut me off."_ Rory chuckled at the sound of her mother again. _"So, actually, I called for a reason. And it was not to pester you, my dear child. I've got some news. I'll call you tomorrow. We're not going to be home, so don't try the house. We're going to this Academic competition at Gigi's school and cell phones are apparently frowned upon. So, I'll try again tomorrow. Love you, sweets. Tell that hubby of yours I said, 'Hi', too. Bye"_

_Message Four:_

"_Hey Mary, just calling to make sure we're still on for lunch, tomorrow at 1pm. I'll pick you up. See you then."_

Rory smiled at the brief message. She couldn't believe he was back in her life. It wasn't like they had a real friendship back in high school, but it was great seeing him again. Her mind raced back to last weekend.

_**&!**_

_Rory was tired, to say the least. She was currently sitting at a table by the glass windows inside the Starbucks shop at the Logan International Airport in Boston. _

_She was donning a simple black designer cocktail dress and sipping at her third Doppio __Espresso Macchiato, while munching on the large fries she picked up from MacDonald's. She knew she looked very out of place, sitting there at 12:30 in the morning, but to her this was just protocol._

_She was visiting her parents, Chris and Lorelai, and her two siblings, Gigi and Michael, in Boston, as she did on most weekends. She hated that they lived so far away from her, but she loved spending time with them, so she couldn't complain too much about the red-eye flights and the jet-lag._

_She fiddled with the hem of her dress as she waited for her flight to be called. She was about to stand to order another drink, when a tall dirty-blonde haired man appeared in the seat across from her._

_She looked at him expectantly, waiting for some sort of explanation, or even, at the very least a cheesy pick-up line._

"_Rory Gilmore, as I live and breathe." He said, as he smirked at her. Rory rolled her eyes, she had heard that line way too many times. She looked at him more closely, leaning forward slightly to take in his appearance. He was wearing a dark blue, pinstriped suit, Armani, she guessed. His jacket was unbuttoned and the first couple buttons of his white collared shirt were undone. He was cute, she would give him that, but there was something about his eyes. She couldn't pin point the feeling she got when she looked into them. _

"_I'm sorry? Do I know you?" She asked; no one has called her by Gilmore in over four years, except for Paris Gellar. She went by Rory Hayden on TV and at any other time, people called her by Huntzberger._

"_I'm wounded, Mary. I can't believe that in your mind I could be so forgettable."_

_Rory gave him a confused look, and then realization hit, "Tristin," She stated, "Tristin Dugray?" She repeated, a little less confidently then the first time._

"_So you do remember me?" He asked smirk still intact. He just got off the plane and was heading to baggage claim when he saw her. At first, he was a little weary about approaching her, but once he got closer, he just couldn't resist. He knew all about her, or at least the basics. It was hard not to, considering her occupation. She's always surrounded by the flurry of the paparazzi and the beam of the spot-light._

_Rory started laughing, shocking Tristin and herself, when she made her was around the table to engulf him in a hug. Still laughing lightly she said, "I can't believe it! I haven't seen you since junior year at Chilton!"_

_Tristin, who recovered from the shock and was now laughing, replied, "It has been a while." They slowly pulled apart and Rory took a seat again. "You look good." He told her._

_She smiled, "Well, thank you. You don't look so bad yourself. Time has done you some good."_

_He laughed, "And not only for my looks. I'm grown up since the last time we've talked."_

"_I should hope so, because, I don't think we could be friends if you were still going around breaking into people's safes."_

_He laughed at the memory. At the time, it wasn't so funny, but Tristin now thought of it as fate telling him he needed to grow up, and Military school definitely taught him that, if nothing else, "Don't worry. That was a one time thing. I learned my lesson years ago."_

_Rory stared at him, still in complete awe._

_He smirked, "What?"_

"_I just still can't believe you're sitting here right now," she laughed again; "I never thought I'd see you again."_

"_And what? Let you live your life without admitting your undying love for me."_

_Rory folded her arms over her chest and scrunched up her nose, "And there he is ladies and gentlemen, the Tristin Dugray, I knew and loved." She said sarcastically._

"_I knew you loved me."_

"_And I thought you changed," she said haughtily._

"_You haven't changed all that much, maybe the age has increased, but you're still as gorgeous as I remember."_

_Rory felt her cheeks heat up slightly, she wasn't sure if it was just the rush from seeing such a blast from the past or if it was the way, said blast, was looking at her with his piercing blue eyes. Rory shook the feeling, crediting it to the fact that she was just overwhelmed. _

_She was about to spout out another witty remark, but was interrupted by the PA system calling her flight number. She didn't want to admit it, but she was actually a little disappointed. She wanted to stay here with Tristin and talk some more. She was baffled by it, this was Tristin, the bane of her existence back in high school, and now she was trying to prolong their few moments together. If she didn't know any better, she would think this was a bad episode of the Twilight Zone._

"_That's me," Rory said, referring the flight number being called._

_Tristin was disappointed that she had to go, but hid it well. He just carefully nodded, brainstorming a way to tell her that he wanted to see her again without getting over-sentimental. He glanced quickly at his watch, noticing the time, "I have to get going too actually, I have this meeting."_

_They both stood up and said their goodbyes. Rory was about to walk out, when she felt a tug at her arm. She turned to face Tristin, "I just moved to New York, and I have it on good authority that you know you're way around the city. How about we get together for lunch or dinner? Besides," he looked straight into her eyes, "I want to see you again."_

_Rory looked into his eyes. She wanted to say yes. She wanted to see him again, but in her mind, she knew she shouldn't. Instinctively, she raised her left, giving him a perfect view of her platinum 2 karat diamond engagement ring and her matching platinum, diamond studded wedding band, and arched an eyebrow._

_Tristin just smirked, "I know, I know." He told her, gently pulling her raised hand into his, "Just as friends," He told her, "It's a new beginning for us. We're not, well, _I'm_ not an immature teenager anymore. We're both in a place where we could really get to know each other, something I've wanted to do ever since high school."_

_Rory thought about it some more, she made a 10 second pro and con list in her mind, before hesitantly nodding; she smiled, "Okay, lunch. Just as friends," she reiterated._

_**&!**_

The sound of the next message playing brought her out of her reverie.

_Message Five:_

"_Okay, I am in dire need of retail therapy!" _It was Stephanie, and by the sound of her voice, she was stressed out. _"You and I, and our black cards are going on a serious spree today. Don't even think of making excuses. I haven't seen you all week, if it weren't for the pictures I have of you, I would've forgotten what you looked like! I'll come by at 11am. We'll do lunch, the whole works! Bye, gorgeous!"_

Rory smiled at her friends antics. They had become good friends over the years, they had more in common than Rory originally thought. Stephanie reminded Rory of Paris, only not so high strung. Steph was intense, but not 'axe murderer' intense. They both shared a passion for being independent. For working towards something and doing something they loved.

_Message Six:_

"_Good morning, Mrs. Huntzberger." _The all too cheery voice of Logan's secretary came through the speaker. _"It's Karen. Mr. Huntzberger asked me to call and remind you about the Annual City of Hope Charity Gala tomorrow night. The car will be picking you up at 7:30pm. And, you don't have to worry about bringing your checkbook; Mr. Huntzberger has already made a sizeable donation. Okay, that's everything. Have a great day, Mrs. Huntzberger. Bye, now."_

As the message ended, Rory's smile faded.

_End of messages. _The machine informed her.

She stared at the machine, still focused on the last message. _Remind me? _She thought to herself, _When was I _informed _of it?_ As Rory stood there, she got more and more annoyed. She wasn't annoyed with Karen. She was a lovely person. She was in her early forties, had a loving husband and three beautiful children.

This was typical Logan. Getting his secretary to make a simple phone call to _his_ wife. This was just another hurtful reminder of what Logan and Rory had become.

She looked at the time. Knowing Stephanie and punctuality, she only had an hour to get ready. She slowly made her way up the stairs, deciding not to dwell on it too much. It would only cause tears and headaches. It wasn't the first time, and she was sure it wouldn't be the last. Yes, she was indeed in need of some retail therapy, as well.

**_&!_**


	2. Slippery Slope

Chapter 2: Slippery Slope

Rory was standing in front of her floor length mirror, admiring the dress Stephanie made her buy yesterday for the Charity Gala tonight. Steph claimed that it was the most perfect, 'Sorry, but I'm taken' kind of dress.

The dress was a rose red colour, slightly below the knee length, a modest v-neckline, and a somewhat plunging backline. Rory actually liked it. The dress was classy and fun. She inwardly hoped that Steph was just kidding when she said the dress screamed 'come and get it'..

Of course, after buying a new dress, Stephanie insisted on getting new shoes and a clutch. Hence, the red Manolo Blahnik Mary Janes and the pale gold metallic clutch.

It was 7:20pm, Sunday night, and Rory was just passing time, waiting for the car to arrive.

Rory took one last glance at herself in the mirror. She was still smiling from her lunch with Tristin. He picked her up, promptly at 1pm and they went to this little restaurant in SoHo New York. It was a lovely place, the food was great, the view was incredible and the company was amazing.

**&!**

"_So, why were you in Boston, anyhow?" Rory asked, after ordering their food._

"_I was just there on some business. I've been living in New York for a few weeks now. What were you doing in Boston?"_

"_I was just visiting my parents and my siblings, they moved out there after I graduated from Yale."_

"_That must suck, you being so far away from them?"_

"_Yeah, it does, but I visit them as often as possible, so, it balances out. What do you do now?" She paused, "Let me guess… you took over the family business?"_

_Tristin noted the sad smile that appeared on her face, but didn't pry. He chuckled lightly before answering her, "I see your intuition is as strong as ever. Yes, I took over the family business. I'm a boring, old lawyer."_

"_Lawyer, huh? I should have known." She said jestingly, looking at him with faux disapproval._

"_Hey!" He said, pretending to be offended, "Not all of us can have our dream jobs. Miss Hot Shot News Anchor." Rory opened her mouth to protest but was silenced, "Don't even try to defend yourself. You cannot tell me that you do not love your job. You're Chilton's very own Katie Couric," He said, in his best Game-Show voice, "Only better looking, and nicer legs." He added, slyly._

"_I should be offended."_

"_Does that mean you're not?"_

_She pondered, "I haven't decided yet." Rory couldn't help but smile. She hated that he could make her smile with little comments like that. She was just glad she didn't blush. Their waiter came by with their appetizers, and Rory took this moment to steer the conversation away from her._

"_So, tell me, what have you been up to these past, what? Ten years?"_

**&!**

Three hours, six cups of coffee and ten years worth of embarrassing stories later, and they were both caught up. They talked about their lives, their friends, their family, movies, books, music.

Rory felt so comfortable with him. She forgot what it was like to have someone to talk to like that. Tristin reminded her of Logan. She wasn't sure yet if that was a good thing or a bag thing, but he did.

Tristin had this cocky attitude, but was sweet and genuinely interested in what she was saying. He had that smirk; Rory figured that that smirk was taught to boys in boarding school or something because it seemed to be their trademark.

When Rory looked into his eyes, she could see something. She couldn't pinpoint what it was, but it was a mix of intensity, interest and something else. The more she talked with him, the more intrigued she got. She didn't know exactly where he fit into her life, but they were at a good start.

Rory's trance was broken by the sound of the phone ringing. When she picked it up, the voice of Benny, the doorman came through the receiver informing her that the car was downstairs.

She made her way to the ground floor, waving to Benny as she walked out to the waiting car. As she stepped out of the building she was greeted by their driver, Gary. He had a sympathetic smile on his face, and she knew what he was about to say.

Gary helped her into the car, "Mr. Huntzberger is running late at the office. He said he would meet you there." He told her, before closing the door.

_Typical_. Rory shook her head, silently contemplating the previous night on the ride to the Gala.

**&!**

_Rory was sitting in the middle of their walk-in closet, fishing through the many shopping bags Stephanie insisted she just had to buy, when she heard the elevator ding, the door open and close._

_Rory glanced at the clock. 10:30pm. Logan was home pretty early. She quietly listened some more and heard the unmistakable creak of his study door. She sighed, deciding to wait a little before going down. _

_An hour and fifteen minutes later, she finished unpacking all her shopping bags and put everything away on hangers and shelves._

_She slowly made her way out of their room and down the stairs, stopping in front of Logan's study. The door was left slightly ajar, letting the light from his desk lamp shine through. She gently knocked a few times, before walking inside._

_Logan was sitting at his desk, surrounded with mounds of papers, his computer on one side, lap top on the other. She watched him for a minute, he was wearing his reading glasses and every once in a while he would furrow his eyebrow and jot something down on a notepad._

_He didn't even notice her. She slowly walked forward and say in one of the leather arm chairs across form his desk, "Hey." She said._

_Logan didn't even look up from his work when he mumbled a reply._

"_The Gala is tomorrow. We're going together right?" She asked._

"_Yeah, of course," he told her, as he began to type something._

**&!**

That was it. That was the most stimulating conversation they had had in… She couldn't even remember the last time they had really talked. They never had any time. Or, at least, he never had any time.

The car stopped in front of the WaldorfAstoria, and Gary helped her out of the car. There was a short red-carpeted walk into the building, lined with reporters and cameras flashing away. She hated walking the carpet alone, but she plastered a wide smile and made it inside as quickly and gracefully as she could.

The room was decorated beautifully and there were many prominent faces in the crowd. The Maitre D' quickly escorted her to her table, where a familiar group was already assembled.

"Rory, love," greeted an overjoyed Finn, "You're here." He got up and engulfed her in a hug, "You look fabulous."

"See, I told you!" Stephanie said, from her seat.

Rory laughed and greeted the table. Colin was sitting beside his second wife of 8 months, Samantha; beside them was Stephanie's husband of a year and a half, Lucas. She noticed Finn take a seat, but wasn't with a date.

"Sit down, Rory," Colin told her.

"Yes, we need to save our energy," Stephanie said.

"Why do we need to save our energy?" Rory asked, confused.

"Because, love, this isn't like College. We're adults now," Finn said, bitter sweetly, "We actually have to stay for the entire show."

"And stay reasonably sober," added Colin.

Rory nodded, her eyes dancing with amusement, "Of course. What was I thinking?"

Finn shrugged, "So, where's the mister? I didn't see him walk in with you?"

Rory's eyes glazed over with gloom, but smiled anyway, "Oh, he's stuck at the office. He said he'd be by a little later."

The guys seemed to miss the way Rory's eyes dulled at the mention of Logan, as they let it slide and started talking to Lucas about cars, or races. She didn't really know. Stephanie, on the other hand, noticed and grew concerned for her friend...

**_&!_**

(A/N: So, this chapter is sort of short, but the next chapter will make up for it.. )


End file.
